Drain valve



May lo 1927 J. l.. HuTcHlNGs l' DRAIN VALVE Filed Jan. l5. 1926 ATTORNEYS m, DM,

Patented May 10, 1927.

r UNITED STATES JOSEPH L. HUTCHINGS, OF OLEAN, NEW YORK.

DRAIN VALVE.

Application'led January 15, 1926. Serial No. 81,595.

This invention l.relates to an improved drain valve, and has for its object more particularly the provision of an improved safety drain valve adapted to be used conjointly on the inside and outside of a liquid or gaseous container.

There has been a marked need for a drain valve which can be safely and easily operated. For example, in the distillation of oils it is desirable to draw test samples, or even substantial amounts of the oil, from the highly heated distilling vessel as the distillation process proceeds.

The drain valves heretofore more generally employed consisted of valves wholly located on the outside of the distillation vessel. The attendant at the distillation operation would often fail to close the valve tightly after withdrawing a test sample of the oil, either by failing to turn the valve a sufficient number of times to close the same, or else walkv away and forget the turnofi` operation.

It is not an infrequent occurrence for the highly heated oil to flash into a flame as it escapes from the highly heated distillation vessel through the drain valve into the outside atmosphere. The attendant in such circumstances jumps away in fright without turning off the escaping and flashing oil, or else he severely burns himself trying to close the valve which is completely enveloped in a mass of flaming oil.

Much the same situation obtains, for eX- ample, in the blowing-olf of steam boilers. A safe and easily operated drain valve is to be desired. The kind heretofore employed have likewise generally been of the so called outside turn variety. Frequently the engine-man may fail to close the valve promptly, thus blowing-off more steam than is desirable.- Again, he is liable to burn his hand and thus delay closing of the valve. Morey over, an outside valve of the kind just dei side causes,

scribed is subject and liable to permanent injury or even complete breaking off by outsuch as by the falling of objects and the like. Should the attendant at these generally employed valves faint, or drop over dead, there might be no effective means of promptly or automatically drawing back the valve into its normally closed position.

The improved drain valve of my invention obviates to a very large extent the above described diiculties previously encounteredby the more generally used drain valves for liquid and gaseous containers. My improved drain valve is so constructed with cooperat-v ing, yet distinctly separable, inside and outside, parts, that the outside parts of the drain valve may be completely knocked away from the container without in any Vway injuring the vital drain valve parts lo- My invention is to be further understoodl5 by reference to, but not confined to, the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view in part of a drain valve attached to a container. l

Fig. 2 is a part sectional view of the drain valve shown in Fig. 1.

Fi 3 is a sectional view in part of .the mem ers of the drain valve shown inside the container in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

A liquid or gaseous container 1 is equipped with appropriate pipe flanges 2 at that point in the container from which it is desired to withdraw the contents thereof. The hole 3, about which pipe flanges 2 are non-leakably riveted to the container 1 by means of the rivets 4, is approximately the same size as the pipe fittings which are to be used in the making of this improved drain valve.

Stationary member part 5, which may be made of any proper metal, preferably brass, is equipped with threads 6 at one end thereof to be non-leakably screwed down into the flange 2 on the inside of the container. This art of the stationary member 5, adapted to fitted on the inside of the container, is ground seated at point 7 to readily fit the ground seat 8 of the slidable member 9.

A vent or vents 10 are provided in the stationary member 5 at an appropriate point some place between the ground seat 7 and the farther lend of the stationary member.

The stationary member 5 is equipped with a disc guard 11, adapted tobe permanently attached to the inside of this member 5, preferably by being cast therein, which is to act as a guard for holding the actuatlng stem l2 in axial alignment as it is made to move longitudinally within the stationary member.

This disc 11 contains a hole or holes 13 through which the contents of the container can escape toward the exit of the drain valve as the actuating stem 12 moves through the hole 14 in the disc.

The actuating stem 12 is permanently at tached to the closed end of the slidable member 9, as by riveting, at the point 13. This stem member is equipped with an appropriate spring 16, fitting over that end of the stem Within the stationary member between the disc 11 and the head, or nut, 17 at the extreme end of stem 12.

The slidable member 9, preferably made of brass, is so constructed as to move comparatively snugly over the stationary member part in such a Way that the ground seats 7 and 8 may be non-leakably drawn against each other, when the spring 16 is in its normally distended condition.

The statlonary member part 5 is preferably equipped with a guard 18, which may be a U-shaped bolt, which may be bolted to the stationary member 5 by means of the lugs 19 on the side of the stationary member and nuts 20. This guard is of such length that it is impossible, to completely disengage the slidable member 9 from the stationary member part 5.

In order to prevent undesirable foreign particles from getting into the ground seats, or even into that part of the liquid or gas which is conducted through the drain valve, a screen 21 of proper mesh may be conveniently placed about the valve member parts located within the container. 'I his screen 21 may be attached in any proper manner such as by fastening it to a guard 18, or to the wall ofthe container, or to the flange meinber. 't A The actuating stem 12 is preferably of such length that the head, or nut, 17 will not ex-` tend very far beyond the threaded end of the stationary member part 5 when the drain valve is in the closed position.

The other main stationary member part 22, located on the outside of the container, which may be a pipe or nipple of appropriate size, is non-leakably screwed into the pipe flange 2 in axial alignment with the stationary member part 5. As in the case of the stationary member part 5 located within the container, this stationary member part 22 is also equipped with a disc 1l at or near the end attached to the pipe flange. This disc serves as a guard to keep the actuating stem 23 in axial alignment with the actuating stem 12. Nipple 22 has a T 24 fitted on one end thereof. This T is in turn fitted with an offtake pipe 25 perpendicular to the actuating stem A bushing sleeve 26 fits into the far end of the T 24 and into which sleeve is fitted the bushing 27. Packing material 28 is that the fulerum part 30 may be tightlyA drawn up against it by the locknut 31. The lever 32 is pivoted on the fulcrum part 30 at the point 33, and is likewise attached to the actuating stem 23 by means of the fitting 34.

A spring 35 of appropriate length and strength is fitted about the actuating stem 23 soas to fill up the space between the bushing cap 29 and the lever fitting 34. This spring is of such construction that When in its normally distended condition, the actuating stem 23 is in a position to make ready contact With the actuating stem 12 as soon as the lever 32 is made to bear in, as by a push or pull, on the spring 35.

The operation of my improved drain valve is as follovvs1.

Let us assume that the container '1 is fitted with highly heated oil, as in the usual distillation processes. If it is desired to drain olf a test sample of this oil, the attendant takes hold of the lever 32 and gives it a suiiicient push or pull to make the actuating stem 23 contact with the head 17 of the actuating stem 12 in such manner that the slidable member 9 is pushed back beyond the vent or vents 10.

The oil seeping through the screen 21 immediately finds its way into the vent or vents 1t) and passes into the axial passageway ot the stationary member parts 5 and 22 hy way of the hole or holes 13 in the disc 11. This oil eventually finds its Way down through the outlet, or oli'take, pipe 25. As soon as the application of force, as a push or pull, on lever 32 is released, the spring llt) 35 automatically throws the lever 32 back into its normal position, thus breaking the contact between the actuating stems 23 and 12. In this manner as soon as the force is released from the lever 32, the spring 16 on the actuating stem l2 automatically throws the slidable member 9 back upon the ground seat 7 of the stationary member part 5.

It is further evident that this drain valve can only be operated by the application of a force, as by a push or pull, to put the same ,into the open condition. The moment this force is removed, no matter What the cause may be, the valve will automatically close itself.

In Fig. 2 I have more clearly illustrated the safety features of my improved drain valve. Should any heavy object fall against those parts of the drain valve which vare member having an axiall passage therethrough, a slidable imperforate cup-shaped member operatively connected to said stationary member, a vent leading to the axial passage of said stations. ymember, means responsive to the applicatlon of aK force for moving the slidable member relatively to the stationary member to openv the vent including a slidable-member-stem attached to the closed end of the slidable cup-shaped member which stem extends into the axial passage of the stationary member and a cooperating" stationary-member-stem leadingr from the outside of the stationary member into the axial passage of the stationary member, said stems being in axial alignment so as to make ready contact with one another, means responsive to the removal of said force for moving the slidable member relatively to the stationary member to close the vent.

2. A drain valve comprising, a stationary member having an axial passage therethrough, a slidable imperforate cup-shaped.

member operatively connected to said st ationary member, a vent leading to the axial passage of said stationary member, means responsive to the applicatlon of a force for moving the slidable member relatively to the stationary member to open the vent including a springed slidable-member-stem attached to the closed end of the slidable cupshaped member. which stem extends into the f axial passage of the stationary member and a cooperating springed stationary-memberstem leading from the outside of the stationary member into the axial passage of the stationary member, said stems being in axial alignment so as to make ready contact with one another means responsive to the removal of said orce for moving the slidable member relatively to the stationary member to close the vent.

3. A drain valve comprising, a stationary member having an axial passage therethrough, a slidable imperforate cup-shaped member operatively connected to said stationary member, said stationary and slidable members being ground seated so that they may be non-leakabl drawn together, a vent leading to the axia passage of said stationary member, means responsive to the application of aforce for moving the cup-shaped slidable member relatively to the stationary member to open the vent, means responsive to the removal of said force for moving the slidable member' relatively to the stationary member to close the vent;

4. A drain valve comprising' a stationary member divided into two main parts having an axial passage therethrough, one part of which is adapted to be attached to the inside of a container, said part having a ground. seat on the outside thereof, the other part of which is adapted to be attached to the out-l side of the container and in axial alignment with'the first part, a vent in said inner stationary member dpart leading to the axial passage, a groun seated slidable cap member fitting over that part of the stationary member which is attached to the inside of the container, said ground seats being adapted to engage each other non-leakably, means within said inner part and attached to said slidable member adapted to cause the engagement and disen agement of the ground seats, so that luld Within the container may be caused to pass through said vent when desired and means within said outer part for actuating said means within the inner part.

In testimony whereof I atlix m signature.

' JOSEPH L. HUT HINGS. 

